Deal boosts Broward teacher pay average of 5.59%

Broward school officials early Wednesday struck a long-awaited deal with the teachers union on raises and benefits for the county's 16,600 public school educators.

On average, teachers will receive a 5.59 percent raise, the starting salary will be raised by $1,500, to $38,500 - the highest in the tri-county area - and the school district will increase its contribution to health care benefits. The previous contract expired Aug. 15. The new contract now heads to teachers for approval, then to the School Board.

Officials hoped to come to an agreement before the start of school, but a stalemate on the average raise, among other issues, led to teachers heading to their classrooms this week without a contract. The first day of school was Monday.

"We did everything we could," said Superintendent Jim Notter. "We have a teacher contract that puts the beginning teacher salary at the top. Those metrics alone say enough about the quality of this School Board."

The top base salary for teachers will be $70,000.

Not all teachers will receive the same percentage raise, however. The percent increase lauded Wednesday is just an average, and the $81 million district officials will spend on teacher raises this year will be distributed according to seniority.

Those with 17 years in Broward schools or less, about 11,200 teachers, will receive a $1,725 increase. The most veteran educators will receive a substantial hike, however - the highest raise being a 17 percent salary increase after 21 years.

That doesn't sit well with some School Board members, who say the district should work hard to keep the 1,335 new teachers hired this year.

"Negotiation is a little give and take," said Board Chairwoman Beverly Gallagher. "I would hope in the future we can raise beginning teachers' salaries."

Union and district officials say their next priority is to make the salary scale more equitable.

Notter said the salary increases this year will be painful to district coffers, which face a $60 million in state funding cuts. The district could experience a financial crisis if property taxes are cut further in January.

To pay for this year's salary increases, Notter said some job vacancies will have to be left unfilled and energy use will have to be cut.

District and union negotiators will meet again in February to discuss if any further salary increases are possible, once the super homestead exemption headed to voters in January is decided - and school system budget experts have a clearer picture of their finances.